Neuropathic Pain From Multiple Sclerosis

Pain is a real part of life with MS for over half of us. Pain can come in several forms and affect several areas of the body. The pain I’d like to proffer for our consideration in this post is called neuropathic pain or neuropathy.

This is a pain which is caused by a dysfunction of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Owing to the fact that we have a disease of the central nervous system (CNS), many of us may not be familiar with the PNS.

These are the nerves which connect the limbs and organs to the CNS.

While there is not suspected demyelination of the PNS, the stripping and scaring of neurons and axons in the CNS is thought to cause misfiring of signals from the PNS, which then tell the brain that we are feeling pain in an uninjured part of the body.

I’ve had episodes of neuropathy in my nearly nine years since diagnosis. I’ve tried some of the prescription drugs for this condition to no real avail. I found my best coping strategy came in the form of cognitive retraining therapy (CRT).

I bring the topic up today because I began a new bout of coping with pain last weekend. It’s, of all places, in my big toe!

While it may sound like a little thing, pain in the toe, but it is BIG pain!

How many of you have experienced this kind of neuropathic pain? How do you cope? Do you find that medications help you?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trevis Gleason

Trevis L. Gleason is a food journalist and published author, an award-winning chef and culinary instructor who has taught at institutions such as Cornell University, New England Culinary Institute and...read more